Volunteers preparing for annual Christmas Friendship Dinner

The 36th annual Christmas Friendship Dinner will bring food, festivities and fellowship this year for families across the Valley. Since 1991, hundreds of volunteers have gathered to prepare a quality meal and share a slice of joy with each and every person that walks through the doors of the Curtis D. Menard Center in Wasilla on Christmas day.

“That’s one of the best parts of the event in my opinion, is to come to events where people are giving back to their community,” Christmas Friendship Dinner Chair Linda Luberger said. “There’s a whole group of people that want to give back and it’s awesome. We have tons of fun and it's a real heartwarming event.”

The event starts on Christmas Day, December 25, at 11 a.m. and lasts until 3 p.m. This free dinner includes turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, cranberry, a variety of salads and an assortment of delicious desserts. Events for the children include a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Clause, face painting, balloon artists, caricatures and gift bags. Live entertainment for the dinner will also be provided and an LED wall with photos from highlights of previous dinners will be displayed.

“It’s continued to be our mission to provide people with a festive, heart warming place to spend an hour having a meal,” Luberger said.

For a successful dinner, the event involves over 300 volunteers. From cooking meals, to decorating the venue, to hostessing, there’s something for everyone to get involved in. The Christmas Friendship Dinner serves between 2500 and 3000 meals every year. A team of delivery drivers brought 455 meals last year to families that could not attend the event. A care and compassion team visits individuals that may be eating alone to sit and visit with them, brightening their day.

“Christmas truly can either be the best holiday or it could be the worst depending on your life circumstances,” Luberger said. “We try to make it as joyful as we can with lots of fun and entertainment.”

Giving back to the community is what brings in enthusiastic volunteers each year, Luberger said. She has been involved with the dinner for 12 years and looks forward to working with the people that make the event such a success.

“Working with the volunteers, that’s my favorite thing, to see the heart of the community come together and wanting to do something extraordinary for other people,” Luberger said.

All are welcome to this year’s dinner. From Willow to Sutton, and everywhere in between, the volunteers at the Christmas Friendship Dinner welcome community members with a warm smile, a hot plate of food and a cup full of holiday cheer.

“Our community means something to us and we want to give back to it,” Luberger said.

Options to volunteer or donate can be found on their website at: https://christmasfriendshipdinner.com/ Volunteer shifts will be available on days before the dinner to cook, clean and decorate, and after the dinner to clean, disassemble and remove supplies from the Menard Center this year.